Self-locking mounting for loom reeds



Patented Apr. 14, 1953 SELF-LOCKING MOUNTING FOR LOOM EEEDS Clarence ltpKronoff, .Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 14, 1949, Serial No. 93,398

' ll'Claims. (01. 139188) This invention relates to improvements in loom reeds and it is the general object of the invention to provide self-locking mechanism which will hold the reed to the loom lay without requiring the usual screws, bolts, etc.

' Loom reeds are generally held in position on the lay by some form of backstay which must be fastened to the lay beam by means of screws or the like. When lay beams are made as extrusions of light, metals or their alloys it is desirable to preserve their original strength and not weaken them by drilling holes such as would be necessary if bolts or screws were used to hold the reed in place.

It is an important object of the present invention to form the lay beam so that it can cooperate with a reed locking bar which when placed in operating position will hold the reed rigidly to the lay without requiring additional securing means.

1 'It is a more particular object of the invention toprovide the lay beam with a lengthwise pivot flange to enter a pivot groove on the reed holding bar and provide the latter with two rails or the like on opposite sides of the groove which will hold the reed against abutting walls on the lay.

The aforesaid locking bar operates in such manner as to require angular movement of the reed when the latter is being applied to the lay beam .and it is a further object of the invention toprovide holders or the like for the top of the reed constructed in such manner that they can be swung to non-eholding position to permit assembly of the reed and holding bar, after which the holders can be swung into reed holding position.

In order to avoid the necessity of very close .di-

.mensions in making the reed, lay beam and holding bar it is a further object of the invention to employ a resilient, element which can be slightly deformed to enable the parts to fit together closely. This element may be on either the holding bar, beam or reed, but it is shown in the preferred form as applied to the bar and in the modified form "as attached to the reed.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the inventionresides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

Inv the accompanying drawings, wherein two forms of the invention are set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a lay of a loom, parts being broken away, having the preferred form of the invention applied thereto,

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Fig. '2 is an enlarged vertical section on line 2-2, Fig. 1,

Figs. 3 and 4 are detailed horizontal sections on lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of one of the aforesaid holders for the upper end of the reed looking in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of assembling the preferred form of reed and its holder bar, and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to a part of Fig. 2 but showing the modifiedform of the invention.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the lay L is supported on two lay swords I0 each including a pair of spaced vertical parallel bars H appropriately mounted at their lower ends for pivotal motion in any approved manner not shown. Located between the upper ends of each pair of sword bars H is a connector block l2 secured to the bars by bolts l3. A lay connector 14 reciprocated by the loom crankshaft not shown is at-- tached at l5 to each connector block 12. A lay supporting bracket I6 is bolted at H to each block I2 and is provided with a shelf 18.

The lay, designated generally at L, includes a beam 20 bolted to the shelves [8 at 2|. The beam has front and back vertical walls 22 and 23, respectively, connected by a bottom plate 24 resting on and secured to the shelves by the bolts 2 l Extending across the tops of the front and back walls is a race plate 25 held in position by screws 26 and formed with a rear vertical abutting wall or surface 21. The race plate may be made of any convenient material, but I prefer it to be non-metallic.

The rear part of the lay beam as shown in Fig. 2 is formed with a pivot flange 28 which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, is integral with bottom plate 24 and extends upwardly and then forwardly and has a rounded bead or pivotal edge 29 which faces forwardly, or to the left as viewed in Fig. 2. Forward of and below the bead the lay beam is formed with a vertical abutting surface or wall 30 similar to wall 21. The bead 29 constitutes a pivotal member located vertically intermediate the walls 21 and 30 for a purpose to be set forth hereinafter.

The reed member R has top and bottom ribs 3| and 32, respectively, between which the reed wires 33 extend. Projecting downwardly from the bottom rib 32 is a fin 34 formed with the' reed andnormally held against the wall 30.

The reed is held in position by a locking bar member, designated herein generally at 40, having an upper rail 4| behind the abutting wall 21. If desired rail 41 may be protected by a cap 3 42 of hard metal. Located behind the rail 4| is a warp guide rod 43 which may be made of glass and be held in a channel 44 formed as part of the bar 40.

Below the rail M the bar is formed with a lengthwise pivot groove or recess which receives the bead 29. Extending downwardly from the groove 45 is a second rail 46 which if desired may have the front lower edge thereof faced with a resilient element, such as a strip 41 of soft elastic rubber. The latter normally engages the rear part of the fin 34 and urges the latter against the wall or surface 30.

The upper end of each connector block 12 is provided with a reed holder which may be formed as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 and is made of sheet metal bent to have a front plate 5| slotted as at 52 to receive a bolt 53 by means of which the holder is held to the upper end of the connector block. The holder as shown in Fig. 5 has a downwardly opening trough formed integral with the plate 5| to receive the upper reed rib 3 I, see Fig. 2. Normally, the holders Will be in the full line position shown in Fig. 1 with their bolts holding them against the adjacent upper ends of rib 3|. By loosening the bolts the holders can be swung around to the position shown in dotted lines at the left of Fig. 1 to release the upper end of the reed.

When assembling the reed locking bar 49 will be fitted over the flange 28 so that the bead 29 will enter the pivot groove 45 with the bar in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6. In this position the top rail 4| will be spaced behind the abutting Wall 21 sufliciently to admit the lower reed rib 32, and the bottom rail 46 will be swung to a forward position above wall 30. The reed will then be moved to the dotted line position, Fig. 6, with fin 34 against facing element or strip 4! and with rib 32 in the space between wall 21 and rail 4!. The reed and its locking bar are then swung to the full line position of Fig. 6 with fin 34 above slot 56, which is between wall 30 and element 41, the lower part of the fin still engaging the upper part of the elastic element 41. The reed is then pushed down and its upper rib 3| pushed forwardly to cause fin 34 to press against and slightly compress the facing element 41, after which the lower part of the fin can be pushed down into slot 56 between element 41 and abutting wall 35. With these operations completed the fin will rest on the bottom plate 24 of the lay beam and be held tightly between wall 30 and facing element 41, while those parts of the reed wires 33 immediately above the rib 32 will be held tightly between abutting wall 21 and rail 4|, or facing 42 when the latter is used.

The pivot flange 28 prevents rearward movement of the lower end of the reed relative to the lay beam 20, and the elastic or resilient strip 41, being under compression, will hold the reed and locking bar against back and forth motion relative to the lay beam. The holders 50 will then be swung from the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 to the normal full line reed holding position, after which the bolts 53 will be tightened and the reed will be held against upward displacement with respect to the lay beam 20. The elastic strip element 4'! may not be necessary in all forms of the invention, but its use avoids the necessity of accurate sizing of the locking bar, reed, and walls 2! and 30.

When it is desired to remove the reed the reverse process will be followed, the holders 50 being loosened, the reed raised until the fin 34 is at a level above wall 30, after which the reed and holder are rocked in a clockwise direction, Fig. 6, and the reed then removed. The warp guide rod 43 will ordinarily be of such weight that it will normally hold the bar 40 in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6. The upper surface 51 of the pivot flange 2B acts as a stop for the lower part of channel 44, and groove 45 is deep enough to retain the bead 29 when the locking bar is in the dotted line position of Fig. 6.

Fig. 3 shows further details of the mounting of beam 20 on the lay swords. Near each sword the pivot member 28 is cut off to define an end 60 therefor, and the rear wall 23, as well as the front wall 22 and the bottom plate 24, constitute part of the lay beam which extends longitudinally of the lay beyond said end 66 to the adjacent end of the lay. The wall 23 engages the front of the adjacent connector block l2 and is con nected to the latter by bolts 6|, see Fig. 3. Wall 23 is near the neutral axis of beam 20 and the hole in it for bolt 6| will not materially weaken the beam. The latter is preferably made as an extrusion of light weight metal, such as aluminum or magnesium, or an alloy of one or the other of them.

The locking bar and reed will be of a length to fit between the swords and the connector blocks. The locking bar is also preferably an extrusion of light weight metal which may be the same as that of which beam 26 is made.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. '7 much of the structure already described will be used but the reed and the manner of securing its lower end will be somewhat different from that shown in the preferred form. The reed member BI is of a type adapted more particularly for silk weaving and its dents 10 are secured together by two ribs H and 12. Secured to the lower end of reed BI is a U- shaped metallic holder 13 having a bottom 14 and front and back side plates 15 and 16. These plates 15 and 16 are secured as by soldering to the lower part of the reed up to some such point as 11 slightly above the rib 1|. That part of the side plates 15 and 16 above the point 11 are resilient and spaced slightly from the reed dents. The clamping or holding bar or member will be somewhat similar to the holding bar 40 of the preferred form except that instead of the soft elastic facing 47 the lower rail 8| will be metallic. I

The U-shaped member 13 and reed will'be located by the abutting wall 30 and the abutting rail BI, and the resilience which in the preferred form is provided by the strip 41 is in the modified form provided by the upper parts of the sides of 15 and 16. The manner of applying reed RI will be substantially the same as that described in connection with Fig. 6 of the preferred form and the rear side plate 16 will take the place of the guard cap 42 of the preferred form.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides a simple lock for loom reed so constructed as not to require bolts, screws or any other attaching means extending through the locking bar or lay beam. The locking bar member has a pivot intermediate top and bottom rails which cooperate with abutting walls on the lay beam to hold the reed in position against back and forth displacement. The holders 50 on the upper ends of the connector blocks prevent upward displacement of the reed. The compressible' element. ;4l.-.of elastic material used in the, preferred form: may not be necessary in all instances, but when his usedthere will be no necessity forholding the abutting walls 27 and "30 to precise dimensions, since compressibility of the element will accommodate slight inaccuracies :inthe fit between the locking bar and the lay beam. The locking bar is so constructed that .when it is placed on the lay beam as shown in dotted; line position Fig. 6, it will remain in that position while the reed is beng fitted.- The locking of the reed is effectedv merely by angular and then downward motion thereof. The wall :23 of the laybeam is located along the neutral axis of the latter and can therefore be secured to the connector blocks'by bolts 6| without materially weakening the beam. To permit this manner. of attaching the beam to; the. lay swords the connector blocks extend forwardly from the reed line "as determined by the reed wires 33. In the -modified form the rubber element is replaced. by the resilient sides and Hi of the Lil-shaped holder -13, but in both forms of the 'invention one or the other of the reed or looking bar members Will have a resilient part for en- 'gagement with the lay beam.

Having thus described the invention it will be seen that changes and modifications of the foregoing specific disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a loom lay, a lay beam formed with vertically spaced parallel walls extending lengthwise of the beam and the beam having an elongated pivot member parallel to and rearward of and vertically intermediate said walls, a reed member behind and engaging said walls, a reed holding bar having vertically spaced parallel rails, one for each of said Walls, behind the reed member and walls, and means on the bar intermediate said rails having pivoted connection with said pivot member cooperating with the latter to hold said rails against the reed member to hold the latter against said walls, said reed member when I raised out of engagement with the lower wall enabling said holding bar to swing pivotally around said pivot member to permit the reed member tobe removed from the lay beam.

2. In a loom lay, a lay beam formed with vertically spaced parallel walls extending lengthwise of the beam and the beam having an elongated pivot member parallel to and rearward of and vertically intermediate said walls, a reed behind said walls and engaging the upper wall and having a fin engaging the lower wall, and a reed holding bar behind said reed and having a top rail holding part of the reed against the upper wall and having a bottom rail holding said fin against the lower wall and extending above the latter, and means on the holding bar having pivotal connection with said pivot member and cooperating with the latter to hold the top rail against the reed and hold the bottom rail against said fin, said holding bar being turnable on said pivot member by the reed and fin when the latter engage said rails and are swung around said pivot member in a direction to move the fin rearwardly with respect to the lower wall while the fin engages said bottom rail, the reed when swung against the upper wall being depressible along said bottom rail and then behind the lower wall.

3. In a loom lay, a lay beam formed with vertically spaced parallel walls extending lengthwise offthe beam, the: lay :beam; having: an..-:e1onsated pivot part parallel. to, and rearward-of and vertically. intermediate. said walls, a-reedmember behind and-ehgagingasaid walls,. a holding bar memher behind the reed. member-mounted, on said pivot part for angular motion thereon and having arail behind each wall, anda resilient ele ment on one of said members between one of said walls and the corresponding rail effective to urge the other rail toward the other wall to hold the reed member "against said other wall.

4. In a loom lay having a reed, a. ,lay beam having; a forwardly facing pivot member extending lengthwise of the beam, a reed locking bar having an elongated groove fitting saidpivot member and having also two reed engaging rails, one above and) the other below said groove,- a channel on the locking bar aboveand .rearward of the grooveand a warp uidein the channel, said channel and pivot member and parts of the locking bar adjacent tosaid groove cooperat "ing due. to the-weight of the warp guide when the reed is being applied to the lay to maintain the bar in a stable position on the pivot member inclined in such position asto enable the rails to support the lower end-of the reed preparatory to movement ofthe locking bar and reed to normal position on the lay. I v 5. A reed locking bar for a loom -lay beam having an elongated forwardly facing pivot member, said locking bar having upper and lower rails o engage a reedand a pivot groove on the side of the bar opposite said rails vertically intermediate the rails to receive said pivotal member, and a channel on the locking bar for a warp guide above said pivot groove and behind one of said rails.

6. In a loom lay, a reed, a resilient side member on the reed, vertically spaced rearwardly facing walls on the lay, means constituting a pivot member on the lay rearward of and vertically intermediate said walls, and a reed holder between the reed and said pivot member pivotally mounted on the latter and cooperating therewith to hold said reed in position on the lay, said resilient side plate being located between one of said Walls and said reed holder and exerting a force around said pivot member urging the reed holder toward the other wall.

7. In a loom lay, a reed, vertically spaced rearwardly facing walls on the lay, means constituting a pivot member on the lay rearward of and vertically intermediate said walls, a reed holder between the reed and pivot member pivotally facing of soft elastic material on a part of said holder behind one of said walls engaging the reed and acting clue to the resilience thereof to urge another part of said holder toward the other of said walls.

8. In a loom lay, a reed member, a lay beam, a single holding bar extending lengthwise of the beam interposed between the beam and reed member, cooperating means on the beam and holding bar constituting a pivotal connection between the beam and holding bar, and spaced rails on the holding bar extending lengthwise thereof and on opposite sides of said pivotal connection engaging the reed member and holding the latter against the beam.

9. In a loom lay, a metallic lay beam having a bottom plate and a rear wall integral therewith, a lay sword comprising a pair of vertical parallel bars spaced lengthwise of the lay, a vertical connectorblock behind said lay beam between and secured to said bars and extending above and below said bottom plate, a shelf member secured to the front of the connector block below said bottom plate and extending under the latter, means securing said bottom plate to said shelf, and other means securing said rear wall to said connector block.

10. In a loom lay, a reed member, a lay beam, vertically spaced rearwardly facing walls on said lay beam engaging the reed member, means constituting a pivot member on the lay beam rearward of and vertically intermediate said walls, and a locking member for the reed member between the latter and the pivot member mounted on the pivot member for pivotal movement relative thereto and havinga part thereof normally above said pivot member and having another part thereof normally below-isaid pivot member, said locking member normally cooperating with the pivot member to hold said reed member against said vertically spaced walls with said parts of the locking member against" said reed member, said reed member normally being between said rear wardly facing walls and said parts of the reed locking member and when raised out of engagement with the lower wall enabling said locking member to swing pivotally around said pivot member away from the upper wall to a position to release and permit removal of said reed member.

11. In a loom lay, a lay beam having front and rear walls joined by a bottom plate which extends rearwardly of the rear wall and isformed integral with a pivot member extending lengthwise of the beam rearward of the rear wall, said pivot member terminating in an end spaced longitudinally from the adjacent end of the lay beam, part of the lay beam including said front and rear walls and bottom plate extendin longitudinally of the lay beyond said end of the pivot member to said adjacent end of the lay beam, a lay sword located along said part of the lay beam intermediate said end of the pivot member and said adjacent end of the lay beam, and means securing said rear wall to said lay sword at a point alon said part of the lay beam.

CLARENCE R. KRONOFF'.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 789,343 Wattie May 9, 1905 923,223 Wattie June 1, 1909 1,524,530 Barton Jan. 27, 1925 1,683,216 Wakefield Sept. 4, 1928 1,926,383 Holmes Sept, 12, 1933 2,161,787 Wattie June 13, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 111,763 Switzerland Oct. 31, 1924 242,301 Great Britain Oct. 29, 1925 

